"überdenken-überschreiben": Vera Vorneweg & das "Denkmal der 39er" von Jupp Rübsam

Based on the idea that many monuments in Düsseldorf go largely unnoticed or have become so taken for granted that people no longer ask about their meaning, nor do they question the occasion for which they were erected or the depictions they feature, we asked five authors from Düsseldorf to engage with a monument of their choice and respond to it in writing; they interpreted them in very different ways—with curiosity, a critical eye, and from unexpected perspectives.

The author and artist Vera Vorneweg literally “rewrote” Jupp Rübsam’s “Monument to the ’39ers”at the Tonhalle with a collage of field post letters, applying the entire text to the monument’s pedestal. In doing so, she gave a voice to the women who suffered during World War I.

On the occasion of Monument Day 2026, we will present the project in a moderated reading with Verena Vorneweg and look forward to a discussion with the audience.

Specific location: “Monument to the ’39ers’” by Jupp Rübsam at the Tonhalle